Buffing means for railway cars and the like



F. w. HANKlNs ET AL 2,330,706

Filed Dec. 27, 1941 7 Shee ts-Sheei l INVENTOR'S: kede/ir W Hal/:1128 Z ATTORNEYS.

BY Wade/M Sept. 28, 1943.

BUEFING MEANS FOR RAILWAY cARs AND THE LIKE Sept. 28, 1943.

F. W. HANKIKNS ETAL BUFFING MEANS FOR RAILWAY CARS AND THE LIKE $.10 2 @my .n t T06 E B e mgm m m VMJ 0 L. T s W26 T n NJ A m 1111111 Jm S 6W .7 1 I 1 I. .l W 1, A. 9 l 7, 2 Illlll a llmumul e D d u i F Sept. 28, *1943.* F. w. HANKlNs ETAL BUFFING MEANS FOR RAILWAY CARSv AND THE LIKE ullllllliilllll \\\ll\k\\llln:1ll\\llllll\llllllllll\lllh *7 sheets-sheet s BY lik/1de] Megen @auf //Ld( ATTORNEYS.

Sept. 28, 1943. F. w. HANKlNs ET AL 2,330,706

BUFFINGV MEANSv FOR RAILWAY CARS AND THE LIKE Filed Dec.. 27,' 1941 '7 Sheets-Sheet 4 -1NVENToRs:

N N ATTORNEYS.

Sept. 28, 1943. F. w. HANKlNs ET AL BUFFING MEANS FOR RAILWAY CARS AND THE LIKE Filed Dec. 27, 1941 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTORS )Zwak/11d Milla/M7165 Wnde] J. Iqgef @au/fnd ATTORNEYS. A

INNINQNUI N O G O O I www @$55524 N www-@ SePt- 28, '1943.' F. w. HANKlNs ETAL 2,330,706

BUFFING MEANS FOR RAILWAY GARS 'AND THE LIKE Filed nec. 27,*l 1941 v sheets-sheet e s WITNESS/5s; ,1NVENTORs:

ATTORNEYS.

Sept. 28, 1943. F; w. HANKlNs ET A1. 2,330,706

v BUFFING MEANS FOR RAILWAY CARS AND THE LIKE Filed nec. 27, 1941- 7 sheets-sheet 7 @mw A l Patented Sept. 28, 1943 BUFFING MEANS FOR RAILWAY CARS AND THE LIKE Frederick W. Hankins and Wendel J. .Meyer,

Philadelphia, Pa., assignors to The Pennsyl-l vania Railroad Company, Philadelphia, Pa., a

corporation of Pennsylvania Application December 27, 1941, Serial No. 424,586

' (ci. 21a-s) 15 Claims.

`This invention relates to builing means for railway cars and the like, particularly to bufl'lng means ofthetype in which the cushioning units are ofcox'npoite construction, i. e., formed by a `pack of dat resilient pad-like spring elements in ternation' with dividing or separating plate elements.

While considered from certain aspects, our inventicin*V has-referencey to railway car builing type specificallymentioned; and to make possible quick `and -easy assembling and placement of the component parts of *such means in proper position in the underframe of the car structures `without requiring the exertion of excessive manual effort and without danger of injury to the shop crews assigned to such work. Y

Other objects and attendant advantages' will appear from the following detailed description of the attached drawings, wherein; Fig. 1 is a fragmentary view in top plan of a railway car with builing means conveniently embodying our 4inven- "tion in one form, portions of the floor of the car having been broken out to expose the underlying parts.

Fig. 2 is-a view'partly inl plan and partly in horizontal section of the central portion of the car body drawn to a larger scale to show the details of the buing means to better advantage.

, Fig. 3--shows-a fragmentary View of the car body'in-longitudinal section, taken as indicated by the angledV arrows III-ITI in Figs. l and 2.

Figs. 4, 5, 6 and '7 arefragmentary cross sectional views taken as indicated respectively by the angled arrows IV-IV, V--V, VI--VI and VII-VIIin Figs. 1, 2 and 3.

Fig'. 8 is a fragmentary View corresponding to Fig. 3 showing-the initial -step in the placement of the-spring unit -oi the bufiing means in the car body.

Fig: 9v isl a fragmentary plan sectional view taken as indicated by the angled arrows IX--IX in FigfS'. j Fig. 10 is a view like Fig. 8 showing an intermediate step in the placement of the spring unit. Fig. 1l is a plan sectional view corresponding to,Fig.V l with portions of the frame of the car body broken away to expose the spring unit, and

with the retaining member for the unit in position and secured.

Figs. l2 and 13 are perspective views of the implements which we have provided in accordance with our invention to facilitate assembling and placement of the spring unit.

Fig. 14 is a View in longitudinal section corresponding to Fig. l8 showing an Valternative embodiment of our invention.

Fig. 15 is a longitudinal sectional view showing an intermediate step in the assembling and placement of the spring unit of the alternative form of buing means.

Fig. 16 is a plan view corresponding to Fig. 15;

and

Fig. 17 is a view corresponding to Fig. l0 showing a modified implement for use in assembling and placing the spring unit of the alternative embodiment.

With reference rst to Figs. 1-7 of these drawings. the numeral l comprehensively designates the sliding center sill of the railway car, the same being disposed in a longitudinal guideway formed between a pair of laterally spaced opposingly arranged channels 2 which constitute the stationary center sill of said body. The cross bearers 3 of the underframe in this instance comprise aligned lateral web plates 3a, see Fig. 6, whereof the inner ends fit into the hollows of the stationary channel bars 2 whereto they are welded, and tension members in the form oi' straps 3b which are riveted fast to the lower anges respectively of said channel bars and said web plates 3a. In the plane 0f each cross bearer 3, the channels 2 are rigidly connected by a built-up filler piece I of T conguration whereof the oppositely projecting portions of the cross arm overreach the laterally spaced side channel members or longitudinals 5 of the sliding sill I. From Fig. 6 it will be further'noted that the outer ends of the cross arm of the filler piece 4 are butt-welded to the inner faces of the stationary channel bars 2, and that the strap 3b of the cross bearer 3 is riveted to the bottom ange of said filler element. The construction of the frame bolsters 6 (Fig. 1) mayholsters 6 and the side sills l to which they may be riveted or otherwise secured. As shown in Fig. 6, the inner edges of the floor plates 8 are substantially in line with the inner faces of the The floor of the car l vil center sill channels 2 and are overlapped by the side edge margins of a center strip i which closes the space between the fixed center sill channels 2 at the top, said center strip being anchored by the rivets which secure the inner edges of said floor plates. At intervals along the length of the sliding center si-ll'I ,fthe side channels 5 are rigidly connected by upper and lower bridging plates II and I2 which are secured to the top and bottom flanges of said channels preferably by welding asV r, spacedplates II.` Theelements I6 are of a com- -mercially available type, each consisting of plural rings of rubber I8 or the like, one within the other, carriedby a centerplate I9 with projection bey.ondj both` sides of the latter, seeFigs.

spring unit is under a definite degree of normal compression in the car assembly and the endinost o f the resilient elements abut pres- .-sure,plates 20,which, in turn, normally bear against stops 2l secured to and projecting inwardly from the inner faces of .the side channels 3.nfgthef-sliding.center sill I. As shown, the stops --2l-arefof-composite construction with their component parts Welded fast to each other andvto ',jzthezfohannels From Figs. 2 and 3 it will be seen that the pressure plates 23 also abut posi- `:fiziorially ilxedstops 22-which are apertured as at .'23ifor'passage oi `locking pins 24 through them. fxAt-their-upper ends the pins 2d engage in pockets 25 provided by hollow built-up anchorage members .26 which are fashioned from sheet metal fparts: and welded tothe under side of the center strippl. At vtheir bottom ends, the locking pins 23 engage-in. pocketsv 27 provided in a built-up closure and retaining member 23 which closes the bottom of the receiving pocket for the spring unit, jointly formed by the channel members .of lthessliding sillv i and the fixed stops 2|, wheretothe stops-22 are secured. The bottom closure member 23 (see Fig. 3) is transversely reinforced vagainst bending or distortion by the hollcwstiffening construction 29 at its opposite --endsandsecured -to the bottom .flanges of the channels by means of screw bolts 3D. In addiu tion tox'supporting the klocking pinsA 23, the,y closure member- 28 thus serves to hold the parts of the buer-spring unit assembled in the car "frame At the top, the pocket for the buffer .i unit 'is closedyby aacover plate` 3I which alongv its sideedges is Welded to the top flanges of the i-sidechannels'i, said plate being bifurcated at its ends as at 33 (Fig. 2) to clear the locking pins 23, and stiffened intermediatev its ends by an upwardly'projecting box-like formation 34 (Fig. 3).

Thisformation 33 functions in cooperation with lthe sides :of the pockets 25 as presently explained -to-flimitlthe extent of movement of the center sillI If..

f a consequence of this construction and arrangement, it will be seen that when the sliding center sill IV moves rightward, relative to the underframe of .the car, the stops 2i (at the left in f Figi-2) on the channels 5 will cause the pressure vplate 2n .to move away `from the adjacent xed `stop 22 on the car frame with the result that 'the spring unit I5 is further compressed. In a like manner when the sliding center sill moves to the left, the stops 2| (right hand in Fig. 2) on the channels 5 will cause the corresponding pressure plate 20 to move away from the adjacent fixed stop 22 on the car frame and thereby bring about further compression of the spring unit. In this way the shocks attending starting and stopping of the trains in which the car is interposed will be effectively absorbed and the strains onI the frame proportionately minimized. The extent to which the spring unit I5 may yield is determined by encounter of the projection 34 on the sliding center sill I with the wall 'of one or the other' of the fixed pockets 25, idepending upon the direction in which the shock is transmitted.

is comprehensively designated by the numeraly 40 and illustrated in perspective in Fig. 13.

As shown, the holder 35 is in the form of a clamp `of U-shaped configuration with relatively short upwardly tapering jaws 36 whereof the inner faces 3l are perpendicular to the top surface 38 of a connecting bar 39. Preferably, the holder 35 is fashioned from sheet metal parts which are Welded together along mutually abutting surfaces; although, if desired, it may be otherwise formed as by casting or forging. In practice, the spacing of the jaws 36 of the holder is somewhat ,less than the spacing of the stops 2| on the l channels 2 of the sliding' sill I and such as to accommodate th desired number of spring elements I6 and divider plate elements I1 together with the two end pressure plates 20with said spring elements under definite initial compression which may vary in `accordance with the* size of the unit or the size of the car in which the unit is to be used. Any suitable means may be employed to compress the series of the elements composing the unit to a point Where the holder may be slipped over them for temporary retainment by the latter as the pressure is slightly released on the pack.

As shown in Fig. 13, each of the wedges 4I! has a shank 4I with a bevel 42 at its upper end, and a laterally projecting head '43 at its lower end. f

`With the spring unit under compression and engaged in the holder 35 as above explained, the assemblage is brought up to the underframe of the car from beneath in the manner shown .in Figs. 8-11. From Fig. 9 it will be noted that the width of the clamp 35 is such as to allow its ends 36 to be passed up between opposite pairs ofthe stops 2l on the sliding sill I. After the spring unit I5 is positioned in its pocket :in thecar frame, as shown in Fig. 8, the wedges 40 are forced upward between one pair of end stops 2| and the corresponding end pressure plate 2l) as shown in Figs. 8 and 9, with .the result that said unit is further compressed and the clamp 35 thereby released for removal. With this accomplished, the bottom closuremember 28 is thereupon applied with the pins 24 inplace within the pockets 21 as shown in Fig. 10, and this lassemblage raised into position with incidental engagement of the upper ends of said pins into the sockets 25, whereupon the closure member the interval between its jaws, with the lower end i the spring unit I in place. Allthat remains to be donenow is' to remove thefwedgesl which can be accomplished by means of a suitable extracting tool, or said wedgesmay beffreed by exertionpoi a sudden rightward pull upon the sliding center sill I. Upon withdrawal of the `wedges 4I as just explained, the pent` up pressure .in the elements I6 ofthe spring unitA i5 will ycause the right-hand end pressure -plate 20to fall back uponthe right-hand stop 22 on the. c10- surey member 28, as; in Figs. 2 and 3. From Figs.

.10 and 1 1 it will be observed that the lclosure member 28 is provided with openings 44 to clear thewedgesl...

.T e draft gearsVIISQreSpectively, vatmopposite ericls.of v the sliding sillmay be of any'approved type.' and mayliave incorporated in them spring units-'like the one above describedv in association with the sliding'center sill;

Thejalternative builng`, means illustrated in '1'4` 1'6"isl characterized by having a double unit, that isto say,f"a"spring unit composed of wo alignedspring sections I5a. vAs shown,

fentiiif.r the unit respectives' abut the iongitudinally spaced transversely aligned pairs of stops 2id fon the channels 5a of the sliding center sill flat The inner orl contiguous pressure pates 20h offthe sections I.5a:however` bear against a posi-l tionally xed 'pin Zlizcentrally of the underframe ofthe car, said pin having its upper end engaged in a socket 25a at the underside of the oor strip Illa and its lower :end engaged in a reinforced opening 21a in the bottom closure member 28a. While in the illustratedfinstance, the pin 24a is ular cross sectionalconfiguration fro gether, it may, if desired, or found to be more convenient in practice, be cast, forged'or otherwiseconstructed. lProjecting inward from the channels 5a into theinterval between the contiguous end pressure plates 2llbv of the two spring sections I5a are center stops 4B, see Fig. 16, with which the spring sections' 15a also cooperate as I later explained. In thel modiiication; the plate 3I is provided with limit stops 34a at opposite ends thereof.l lIn other respects the alternative construction isidentical with the first described lembodiment of our invention, wherefore in Figs.

14-1'6, all corresponding parts, not specifically referred to above, are identified with the same reference numerals previously employed, except for the Vaddition'fin each instance, oi' the letter a for convenience of distinction.

The implements provided in accordance Vwith vourinvention for use in assemblinig the elements of the spring ,units of Figs. l4-16, and for applying the unit to the car frame', include a clamp 35a `In assembling the double spring unit'. the pin Mais interposedv between the" two sections IEa and the unit thenplaced underadeiinite degree [or: initial cor npres'slionv in the same manner as the js ng unit?'optherstg-exnbodiment, whereupon t clamp` 35'u'j'fisL appliedito Yreceive pack in s'y "'r'netal parts welded toof the pin 24a cleared in the aperture in the cross barv of said clamp.` The loaded clamp 35a is thereupon brought up to the car frame from beneath, and the double spring unit slipped intoV position in the interval between .the paired stops 2Ia on the channels 5a of the sliding center sill Ia, the upperend of the pin 24a being at the same time engaged in the socket 25a on the cover strip I 0a, all fas shown in Fig. .14. The wedges 40a' are next driven upwardly between the pressure plates 20a of one end pair and the corresponding stops 2Ia on the sliding center sill (Fig.

14), whereby the sections I 5a are' compressed slightly to release the clamp 35a which can thereupon be withdrawn downwardly. With the double spring unit thusA positionedin the car frame,

. the bottom closure member 28a is brought up so that the lower end of the pin 24ais received in the aperture 21a, and made secure by means of the' nut bolts 30a as shown in Fig. 15. lThe wedges 40a are thereupon removed and the right- Ahand end pressure plates 20a of the unit thereby allowed to move into contactrwitnthe con- `relative tov the car frame incident to starting of the train, 4for example, the pressure plate 20a of the left-hand section I5@ will be correspondingly moved by the contacting stops 2 Ia on said sill, thereby placing said section under greater compression to absorb any attendant shocks, while the right-hand section I5a will remain passive since it is A.merely carried along with the sill by virtue of being engaged between vits corresponding stops 2Ia and the center stops 46. On the other hand when the pull on the sliding center sill Ia comes from the left, the righthand section I5a will operate in a similar manner while the left-hand section remains passive.

Contact of the upstanding stops 34a on the sliding sill Ia respectively with the fixed projections 26a, will determine the limit of'movement allowed said sill relative to the car frame and also the limits of compression of' the respective spring sections I 5a.

Having thus described our invention, we claim:

1. Builing means according to claim 10, in which the spring unit includes a pack of iiat resilient spring elements in alternationlwith plate separators.

2. Bufng'means according to claim 10, in which the spring unit includes a pair of end pressure plates, anda pack of at resilient spring elements in'alternation with plate separators interposed between saidend pressure plates.

spring unit; ,a bottom closure member removably secured to the `underframe crosswise of the guideway to hold the spring unit in place; and xed stop abutments for the spring unitrspaced to correspond with themovable stop abutments of the draft element andignormally transversely aligned with the latter, said xed stop abutments being engaged in the bottom closure member and extending upward into the interval between the side members of said draft element. p

4. Bufling means for a railway car or the like having a longitudinal guideway extending medially of the length of itsl underframe, and a sliding Y draft element with laterally spaced side members movable endwise in the guideway, said. means comprising a compression spring unit lodged in the interval between the side members of the draft element centrally of the underframe; opposing pairs of inwardly projecting stop abutments on the side members of the draft element normally engagedby the opposite ends of the spring unit; a bottom closure member removably secured to the underframe at ,the center crosswise of thelguideway to hold the spring unit in place; and ixed stop abutments for the spring units spaced to correspondwith the movable stop abutments on the sliding draft element and normally transversely aligned withthe latter, saidfixed stop abutments'being engaged in the bottom closure member and extending upward into the interval between the side members of said draft element. Y

5. Buffing means for a railway car or the like having a longitudinal guideway medially of its underframe and a sliding' draft velement with laterally spaced'side members movable endwise in the guideways, said means comprising a compression spring unit lodged in the interval between the side members of the draft element; opposing pairs of inward stop projections on the side members of the draft element normally engaged by the opposite ends of the spring unit; a bottom closure member removably secured to the underframe crosswise of the guideway to hold the spring unit in place; and fixed end abutments for the spring unit in the form of vpins spaced to correspond with the removable'stop abutments on the draft element and normally transversely aligned with the latter, said pins having their lower ends engaged in sockets on the closure member and their upper ends engaged in sockets provided for them on said underframe above said sliding draft element.

6. Buiing means for a railway car or the like having a longitudinal guideway medially of its -underframe and a sliding draft element with laterally spaced side members movable endwise in the'I guideways, said means comprising a compression spring unit which is composed of two endwise aligned sections, and which is lodged in the interval between the side members of the draft element; opposing pairs of inwardly projecting stop abutments on the side members of the draft element engaged by the remote ends of the aligned. spring sections; a lbottom closure member removably secured to the underframe crosswise of the guideway to hold the spring unit in place; and a fixed stop abutment common to the inner ends of the two spring sections engaged in said bottom closure member and extending upward into the interval between'the side members of said draftelement.

7; Bumng means according to claim 10, including means for limiting the endwise movement of the draft element in the guideway and for limiting the extent to which the spring unit can be compressed in operation.

8. Bufngmeans for a railway car or the like having a longitudinal guideway extending medially of the length of its underframe, 'and a sliding draft element with laterally spaced side'members movable endwise in the guideway, said means comprising a compression spring unit which is composed of two endwise aligned sections and which is lodged inthe interval between the 'side members of the draft element ycentrally of the underframe; opposing pairs of inwardly projecting stop abutments -on the side membersof the draft element en-gaged by the remote ends of the aligned spring sections; a bottom closure member removably secured to the underframe at the center 'crosswise of the guidewayto hold the spring unit in place; and a fixed stop abutment common to the inner ends 'of the two'spring sections engaged in said bottom closure member and extending upward into the intervalbetween the side members of said draft element.

9. IBufling means for a railway car or the lik having a longitudinal guid'eway medially of its underframe and a sliding draft element with laterally spaced side members movable endwsein pression spring unit which is composed of two endwise aligned sections and which is-lodged in the interval between the side members of the draft element; opposing pairs of inwardly projecting stop abutments on the side members of the draft element engaged by the remote ends of the aligned spring units; a bottom closure member removably secured to the underframe crosswise of the guideway to hold the spring unit in place; and a fixed stop abutment in theforrn of an upright pin common to the innerends of the two spring sections, said pin having its lower end engaged in an aperture in the bottom closure member and having its upper endA engaged in a socket provided for it on said underframe above said sliding draft element. p

10. Buning, means foi' a'railway car or the like having an underframe with a, longitudinal guideway, and a draft element with laterally-spaced side members movable endwise in the guideway,

said means comprising a compression spring unit lodged in the interval' between the side members of the draft element; vopposing pairs of transversely-arranged inwardly-projecting stop abutments on said side members spaced longitudinally of the latter and 'normally engaged by the opposite ends of the spring unit; a bottom closure member removably secured to the underframe crosswise of the guideway to support the spring unit and thereby hold it in place; and fixed stop abutments for respectively engaging the opposite ends of the spring unit','said fixed stop abutments being spaced longitudinally of the guideway by a distance corresponding with the lengthwise spacing of the stop abutments on the draft element and projecting upwardly from'the closure member into the interval between the side members of said draft element. Y

l1. Buing means for 'a railway car or the like having an underframe with a longitudinal guideway, and a draft element with laterally-spaced side members movable endwise in the guideway, said means comprising a compression spring unit consisting of vtwo similar serially'arranged com' ponents, lodgedv in the interval between the side members of the draft element; pairs'of transversely-aligned inwardly-projecting Vstop abutments on saidside members spaced lengthwise of the latter and constituting movable abutments for the remote ends of the two components of the spring unit; a' closure member removably secured to the underframe crosswise of the guideway; and a nxed stopfelcment projecting from" the closure member throughV the interval between the side members o1 the draftelement into en. easement with the contiguous inner ends 'of th two components of the sprlngunit.

12. Builng means for a railway car or the like according to claim 11, in which the closure member is secured to the underframe at the bottom to support the spring unit from beneath and thereby hold it in place; and wherein the finedv l0 stop element projects upwardly from the closure member through the intervalrbetween theside members of the draft element;

13. Buing means for a railway car or thelike t having an underframe with a longitudinallyl5,

slotted center sill and a draft element with laterally-spaced side members which extends continuously through the slot of the centersillufor* guidance to endwise movement therein, said buf fing means comprising a compression spring unit 20 14. Buillng means element for engagemontby the other end oi the spring unit.

' having an underirame with a longitudinally-slotlodged in the interval between the side membersy l of the draft element; a pair of transverselyaligned inward projections onsaid side members ytogether constituting a movable abutment for one end of` the spring unit; a removable plate 25 secured tothebottom of the center sill crosswise of the slot in the latter; and a xed stop element projecting upward from the plate in the interval between the side members of the draft ted'center sill and adraft element with laterallyspaced side members which extends continuously and a xed stop element projecting upward from the plate in the interval between the side members of the draft element for engagement by* the other end QI the spring unit.

15. Buiiing means according to claim 14, in which the xed stop element is in the form of a removable pinhaving its lower end engaged in a socket in -the closure plate and its upper end in a socket provided by a xed cover plateA extending crosswise of the slot of the center sill at the top.

FREDERIC'KVW. HANKINS. WENDEL J. MEYER;

for a'railway car or the likeV 

